Natural Fit, Tunbridge Wells

Great progress is being made onsite at the wellness centre we are engineering for Natural Fit in the historic town centre of Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

The new health and fitness centre is being built at the former Barclays Bank on Calverley Road and its state-of-the-art facilities will be housed behind the building’s striking Georgian façade.

Bank House is part of a group of listed buildings on Calverley Road in a Conservation Area designed by Decimus Burton, one of England’s leading architects of the 19th Century, and built in Tunbridge Wells stone in 1835.

Gyoury Self has provided full structural engineering services for all aspects of the works, including the design of extensive temporary works to preserve the integrity of this historic building throughout the construction process.

The building’s central columns have already been removed to make way for the new ground floor pool which is currently being excavated. The temporary works will remain in place to support the original building whilst a new structure is built to span the pool and provide support for the first floor gym and fitness facilities. An atrium is also being removed to increase the available area on the upper gym level.

Ashford-based Kent Structures is the main contractor on this design and build project and Southfield Structural Services is fabricating the structural steel framing.

When the high calibre wellness centre launches later this year, its facilities will include a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room, as well as a cafe and lounge area. There will also be massage and skin treatments, osteopathy, corrective exercise and other exercise including one-to-one sessions and group classes.

In keeping with Natural Fit’s ethos, emphasis will placed on a holistic approach to health and fitness for those wanting to extend their movement into later life and among other things, avoid sports injury and overcome back pain.

This is the first of two new facilities housed within interesting historic buildings that we are engineering for Natural Fit this year. The second wellness centre will be located much closer to home at the former St. Agnes Church building in Newtown Road, Brighton and Hove. We hope to publish further details of this project in the near future.

If you wish to stay tuned to construction progress at the new fitness centres, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Do you need structural engineering for a fitness or leisure centre project?